Red Bull Throwdown Brings the Sport of "Tricking" to Center Stage on Saturday

Red Bull Throwdown presents the new standard of physical movement, where all styles will battle to find the most complete tricker.  The sport of tricking pushes human physical limits through the mix of martial arts, tumbling and break dancing.

There will be over 100 athletes from Atlanta and the rest of the nation to compete for one of the coveted spots in the finals on Saturday. 

WHO:         Watch the 16 best tricking athletes battle head to head to earn their right to call themselves the most complete tricker. Eight handpicked top athletes from around the world automatically enter the finals through an exclusive athlete invite, including premium headphones from sponsor Sol Republic. A panel of judges determines who will make the cut for the remaining eight spots based on the quality of skills demonstrated in kicking, creativity and level of difficulty.

WHERE:         Center Stage
1374 Peachtree St. NW
Atlanta, GA

WHEN:         August 24, 2013
Doors open at 6:30 PM
ALL AGES // FREE EVENT

WHAT IS TRICKING?
Tricking is an underground sport that combines gymnastics, martial arts and break dancing. The ultimate goal is to create an aesthetic sequence of kicks, flips and twists.  Tricking is not a contact sport, but an artistic performance. Tricking combines the structure of martial arts with a creative expression derived from the essences of break dancing and gymnastics. Opponents meet on a spring floor and attempt to create the most unique routine.

WHAT ARE TRICKERS/TRICKSTERS?
An individual who practices tricking is typically referred to as a “tricker” or “trickster”.

WHERE DID THE SPORT ORIGINATE?
As early as the 1960s, martial arts on the competitive level began incorporating more advanced techniques into their routines. Eventually, with influence from other aspects such as Capoeira, Taekwondo and B-Boying, tricking became its own entity.

RED BULL THROWDOWN EVENT FORMAT:
·        8 pre-selected athletes have been invited to the event to compete in the finals.
·        On Day 1, there will be a one-hour “Open Jam Session” to determine the 32 contestants moving on to the Semi-Final Round.
·        The Semi-Final Round will determine the 8 additional athletes to move on to compete with the 8 pre-selected athletes in the Final on Day 2.
·        This event invites well-known trickers and new school trickers to compete against one another to find the most complete tricker and grow the sport as a whole.

HOW DO THE JUDGES PICK A WINNER?
Judges will award points on a 1-5 point scale, 1 being the lowest score, and 5 being the highest. The athlete with the highest cumulative score will win and advance to the next round. Judges will be given one category each, and will critique based on their respective area of expertise. This is to ensure that each battle is fair and the overall winner of this competition is the most complete tricker.

Athletes will be judged on:
1.        Creativity
2.        Difficulty
3.        Crowd Response
4.        Delivery
5.   Style